Charging stations, e.g., charging carts, are being used more and more every day in schools and businesses for charging electronic devices, such as tablet computers, notebook computers, netbook computers, etc. The charging stations can include shelves, wheels, cooling, power, and input/output devices such as Ethernet switches and wireless access points. The station can include shelves for charging, storing, and managing one or more electronic devices.
Each electronic device includes an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter to convert an AC line voltage to a DC voltage that the electronic device can use. The power to these AC-DC converters can be provided by power receptacles such that the AC-DC converters plug directly into power receptacles or into the receptacles with a cord then to an inline power supply that converts a country-specific AC voltage to a lower DC voltage.
Line voltages and frequencies can vary from country to country (for example 120-volt (V), 60 hertz (Hz) in the United States and 230V, 50 Hz in Germany). In addition, electrical safety codes can vary between countries. Because these differences exist, charging station manufacturers often develop hardware and firmware for control and monitoring that are specific to a geographic region. This can result in two or more controller circuit boards and two or more variations of firmware in order to meet the national safety standards for a particular geographic region.